acres cleared. Except for a hay shed we are well equipped with buildings. It is heavy blackboy country. We go in for mixed farming. Later on I intend to go in for merino sheep. I am a wool classer by trade. We do not keep any stud sheep for sale, although I breed my own rams. At the present time we are running 1,400 head of sheep. This is rather more than the place should carry. 1,000 sheep and 300 rams shore 6lbs. 14½ozs. per sheep, and the lambs 2lbs. Before the war my wool average 1s. 6d. lb. on the London market. Under the wool appraisement I consider that the South-West has not had a fair deal. A lot of cross-bred wool which was not classed, beat me by 3½d. So far as the classification is concerned after 50 years' experience, I consider that the wool appraisement should have been left in the hands of wool brokers. Then the farmer would have had a fair deal. There is too much city interference on every hand. There are too many people going to the Government for help. It is doing away with the self-reliant settler. There is too much reliance on the Government. There are a number of men on the land in the south-west who are not farmers. I consider also that the wrong sort of men are selected to judge at shows.

10752. To Mr. VENN: In regard to the settlement of the poison land, of which there is a quantity in the district, I consider that it should be given away on improvement clauses extending over ten years. I have 540 acres on which I have lost a lot of sheep. I have grubbed 120 acres, and lost more sheep than the land was worth. All the land in my district is priced too high; 2s. 6d. is the maximum value.

10753. What method of clearing do you advise for this country?—I do not advocate ringing jarrah country. If it is rung, 10 trees spring up for every one, and there is no undergrowth or grass to burn it.

10754. Have you tried dairying?—I do not consider that dairying will succeed in this district; it is too dry.

10755. By Mr. PAYNTER: Have you been successful with your cropping?—Yes. I have grown nearly three tons of hay to the acre. I fallow my land, and fertilise up to 100lbs. of super. to the acre, and sow from a bushel to a bushel and a-half of wheat or oats. I have averaged 2½ tons of hay and stripped 21 bushels of wheat. I think our wheat will go about 15 bushels this year. I am sure that this district after a few years more development in the right direction will be the best merino sheep district in the south-west. I mean from here to Kojonup, not towards Bridgetown. In the Bridgetown district you begin to get heavy wool.

10756. By Mr. VENN: Do you think that the settlers on the poison country are going to be a success?—As a rule the class of man is no good. There is no system in their way of working. The men who have the money will not employ the right sort of men. I refer to the absentee farmers. Some of the men on the poison country are battling away, and a few will, I think, make good.

10757. Is there any other land available for selection?—There is very little country except poison land available for settlement. A big mistake has been made in surveying the poison country in too small blocks. It has been cut up into 150 to 300 acre holdings. Fencing is such a big item, and the holding should be larger. Any future land which it is intended to settle should be in larger areas. The man who takes up this land clears the poison and provides water on it is a national asset, and he should get the land free. This was one of the most backward districts in the State ten years ago, but development has been very rapid since. Most of the men who came out on the poison country seem to be agitating against the Minister for Lands. I consider that he did well on the whole. In regard to Mr. Mitchell he was the best Minister for Lands we ever had; the others were only messers. Mr. Mitchell has done a great deal for land settlement in this State. This country is suffering through bad government. There are too many men in Parliament whose idea of farming is the city man's point of view.

(The witness retired.)

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JAMES BLECHENDEN, Springfield, Dinninup, sworn and examined:

10758. To Mr. PAYNTER: The land on which I live was taken up in 1884. I came here in 1886. I have 2,800 acres, of which 1,242 acres is freehold and the balance grazing lease. When I took up the grazing lease it was 5s. 9d. per acre. It is two miles from a railway, and it is all fenced. I have 260 acres under the plough. It is equipped with the necessary buildings for stock, but I have not sufficient sheds for hay. I shear about 1,200 sheep annually. The place would carry 1,000 sheep, but I buy and sell. I have six horses and 16 head of cattle. I use my cultivable land for growing feed for the stock. I started £100 to the bad, but have made satisfactory progress. I am satisfied with my prospects. I consider that a settler in this district should have 500 acres as a minimum. Some men could manage 2,000 acres to 3,000 acres. This depends on the man.

10759. To Mr. VENN: There is no other land in this district I would recommend as suitable for settlement. I have 500 acres of poison in my holding. There is a lot of difference of opinion as to the methods of clearing poison. I have lost a good number of sheep on my place. I believe that the seed will germinate for 20 years. I have to go over it every year. Some of this land has been fenced 30 years. The only way is to eat the country out with stock; practically starve them on it. I had most of my poison grubbed by day labour, as you cannot let a contract. There were patches of my land so infested with poison that it would take 10s. per acre to clear it. The Government allowed me 3s. per acre on improvements. It was not enough; it cost me more than 3s. per acre, apart from loss in sheep.

10760. How are the settlers doing on the newly selected poison areas?—They are not doing any good.

10761. What class of sheep do you favour here?—Merino sheep do better here than any others. The average weight of the clip of my sheep was 8lbs. to 9lbs. This is above average for the district. My fat wethers averaged 45lbs., although I kill them up to 60lbs.

10762. Do you consider the country suitable for dairying?—No, I practice dairying only for my own use. It is not a dairying district; the season is